


Garden of Glass

by lanaskye



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Gay, Mostly fluff though, Yayyy, but it's hurt/ comfort, seriously though this is kind of sad, so buckle up, so it all works out in the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 22:03:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9348398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanaskye/pseuds/lanaskye
Summary: Eli Ayase was student body president, valedictorian, lead singer at the chuch choir, and an ex-ballerina strictly monitored by her Russian grandmother. Nozomi Tojo was a spiritual social outcast with a penchant for all things unorthodox. One day, 15-year-old Nozomi found something strange written in the cards. Reversed Judgement, High Priestess, and the Lovers… And there she was. That girl who blocked herself out from others, who pushed herself to the limits, who hid a world within her icy blue gaze…Two years later, Eli knows she has to admit her true feelings to the world. But that brings a whole new set of vices… will her religious grandmother approve? Will the other girls of µ’s understand? And what of Nozomi’s distant parents, who want nothing more than for their daughter to be “"normal”“?Follow two young girls’ experiences with friendship, love, and the struggle of accepting yourself when all the important people in your life won’t; the walk through a garden of glass.( This was inspired by the nozoeli duet Garasu no Hanazono. Enjoy!)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Garasu No Hanazono](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/256784) by Nozomi Tojo (CV. Kusuda Aina), Eli Ayase (CV. Nanjou Yoshino). 



1- Maze of Dreams

“When my eyes filled with longing  
Search for you from afar  
I feel lonely  
I want to tell you that I’m here”

-

Nozomi placed a piece of grilled meat in her mouth, feeling happy as she listened to Alisa gush about school idols and Otonokizaka and what high school would be like. She kept asking questions about what types of lunches to bring, what to pack the night before in her backpack, which teachers were mean and which were nice, and what she should do if someone said something catty; all of which Eli and Nozomi answered patiently (though sometimes, they disagreed: Eli thought mean girls were to be confronted seriously and strictly, while Nozomi found fear to be a better tactic). Eli’s grandma also sat and ate, but didn’t add much to the conversation.

“And that’s why I think I should sit by the window,” Alisa was saying. Eli nodded. “I’m sure you’ll make lots of friends, Alisa, so just be yourself and don’t worry.”

Nozomi smiled. “That’s right. Friendship is the best part of high school.”

Alisa’s eyes sparkled. “Really? …Harasho!”

Eli and Nozomi exchanged glances and Nozomi placed her hand on Eli’s shoulder lovingly.

“It’s wonderful how good of friends you two are even after high school,” Eli’s grandma said pleasantly with a tight-lipped smile. “Most romantic relationships don’t even last that long. This way, you’re not tied down. I’m sure you’ll find a good, intellectual man in college, Eli.” 

Nozomi slipped her hand back into her lap while Eli suddenly found the floor quite intriguing. “Yeah,” she agreed, a bit weakly. “I’m sure I will, Bubushka.”

-

Nozomi settled on Eli’s bed, closing the blinds. 

“Thanks for letting me stay with you over the summer, Elicchi.” She smiled warmly. “Letting my parents rent my house out the summer before college starts will make it budgeting much easier, so I’m really grateful.”

“The only reason why you have that house is because you decided to stay here with me in Tokyo.” Eli nestled up to Nozomi. “So of course I’m going to let you live with me if you need to.”

Nozomi grinned and lifted up her shirt slightly, causing Eli to blush and jump back. “Nozomi!”

Nozomi pulled a chocolate bar from where it was hidden, tucked into the waistline of her skirt and shirt. “Relax, I’m not stripping.” She then smirked and added, “yet.”

“Is that… chocolate?!” Eli’s voice fell to a whisper as if the word was taboo.

“Milk chocolate- the German kind, your favorite.” Nozomi's eyes glittered as she held it out for Eli to take.

“Nozomi, you know what Babushka says… if she finds out…”

“I went out of my way to have these shipped from Germany and you’re not even going to take them?” Nozomi jabbed her in the stomach teasingly, fake-pouting. “You’re 18 years old! Live a little!”

Eli hesitated and then grabbed the bar. “You’re a bad influence.” A small smile tugged at her lips.

The wrapper crinkled as she pulled it back, exposing the chocolate, and took a bite. “Mmmm, Nozomi- this is so good!” 

In that moment, Nozomi had never seen anyone as beautiful as Eli.

The way her hair hung over her face, perfectly framing its angular shape; the way her eyes glittered like exotic jewels as she relished in the taste; the way her sakura-petal lips gently lifted into a smile that warmed Nozomi as though she were basking in the afternoon sun...

She made everything worth it.

“What? You’re not gonna share?” A mischievous, cheeky grin snuck onto Nozomi’s face as she gazed upon the other.

“Here.” Eli held out the bar expectantly, but Nozomi shook her head. “Take another bite.”

Curious, Eli did, and felt Nozomi tackle and kiss her not a moment later. The kiss itself was far sweeter than the chocolate could have ever been; Eli's smile had gone from cautious pleasure to exuberant love. Nozomi relished in the rarity and smiled back just as warmly. “Eli, you taste like chocolate.”

“Wasn’t that the idea?” Eli chuckled. They kissed once more, slower this time, more deeply, and the air filled with a sweet, soft noise that made both girls weak in the knees.

It was when Eli couldn't help but let out a soft moan that Nozomi's heart rate went from fast to breakneck speed. The heat she felt building inside of her was, despite being pleasurable in a feverish way, horrifying. What if Eli didn't feel that? What if she had gone too far? What if Eli was uncomfortable with where this was going?

"Eli-cchi," Nozomi whispered gently, pulling away.

"I know," Eli responded somewhat regretfully, though she was unable to hide her own desire. "We can't..."

A pause.

"Let's just go to sleep," Nozomi said finally.

\- 

 

While Nozomi turned off the lights, Eli pulled the covers of the bed up and then the two girls snuggled under the blankets. They had shared beds for as long as they had been friends, but for some reason, the change in their relationship status only made the habit more comfortable as opposed to less. 

“Eli?” Nozomi asked after a long silence, where the darkness hid her surroundings and she had nothing to do but think. 

“Yeah?”

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“… Not really,” Eli admitted. She sighed and turned over so she could face Nozomi, whose features were barely recognizable in the dark. “I’m scared, Nozomi.”

There was a silence and then Nozomi grasped her hand. A soft, knowing answer: “You’ve always been scared of the dark.”

Eli laid her head on Nozomi’s chest. That wasn’t what she meant, and Nozomi knew that.

“Don’t be afraid, Elichi,” She whispered softly. “I’m here with you. Even when you’re in the dark, at least we’re in the dark together.”

-

THREE YEARS PREVIOUS

Otonokizaka was a huge school, or at least it seemed that way to a fifteen-year-old Nozomi Tojo.

Another city, another school, another attempt to fit in with the rest of the students. A part of her wondered, why even bother? After all, they'd only move again, and force Nozomi to uproot her life- to find new friends, build new relationships, try to fit in with the locals despite sticking out like a sore thumb. It got tiring after all these years. The only thing that kept Nozomi going was the faith that one day, the beings of the universe would grant her the one thing she wanted more than anything else: a home.

Slowly she made her way up the staircase, praying that she was going the right way. According to this map, her class should be on the right... her class, where she would have the mandatory introduction, where everyone's eyes would brand her with the word "outsider". Only the yokai, hiding within the depths of the school, would recognize her, and still ignore her all the same. The thought haunted her as she absently opened the door.

Her hands drifted to her bag, which held her instant conversation-starter: A shiny deck of tarot cards. If she had this, not only could she talk to the gods, but she could make a few friends with her amazing "spiritual powers"- a circus act, ready to awe and mystify. Even if some of the attention was more judgement than appreciation, it still helped melt some of the tension between her and her peers, and for that she was grateful. Still, a dark voice reminded her: not that it matters. You'll leave this place, leave them soon enough.

That's when she was pulled back into reality, forced to meet the eyes of the students around her. "I'm Nozomi Tojo," She said tentatively, withering under the eerily familiar stares of the students. Outsider. Outsider. Outsider. Outsider. 

Then, an icy blue gaze; only this time, it did not brand Nozomi as a misfit. This time, it guarded itself, betrayed its own insecurity. This girl didn't belong. She put up walls to keep others out.

This girl, though she surely had been resident of this town for years, had no home.

-

Alisa stood outside her sister’s room. If she had been reading correctly, over the summer it had become clear that something more than friendship was happening between her sister and her sister’s best friend… and frankly, she felt a bit offended that neither of them had shared their relationship with her. After all, she wasn’t a child anymore! Tomorrow she would begin high school, so why…? 

She was determined to know the truth; that was how she justified standing outside her sister’s room, pressing her ear to the door like a character in a movie, when she really should have been getting ready for bed.

Their voices were muffled at first, but Alisa could make out snippets, and their voices gradually rose as they became more comfortable. 

“… I’m really grateful,” Nozomi was saying.

Eli’s voice was indecipherable before she let out a cry of, “Nozomi!”

Alisa strained to hear Eli and Nozomi for a moment, only able to clearly hear one word. “… Stripping…” 

Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest. What?!

“…. Nozomi… you know what Babushka says…if she finds out…”

“… You’re 18…! Live a little!”

“You’re a bad influence…”

There was silence for a moment, then Eli cried out. “… Nozomi…! …so good!”

Alisa’s face deepened about six shades of red, and she suddenly got the feeling that she was doing something that she shouldn’t be doing, yet she was frozen in place. Another long silence before Nozomi spoke.

“Eli… you taste of chocolate…”

If Alisa could have been any more embarrassed, she would have been, and she shot away from the door like a rocket. How long had this been going on?! Alisa’s mind raced with questions as she collapsed onto her bed and shut the door. Maybe she didn’t know her sister as well as she thought she did.

-

The next day, Eli and Nozomi got up to see Alisa off on her first day to Otonokizaka High. For some reason, Alisa regarded them a bit differently, though neither girl really knew why.

After that, they loaded up the car with their belongings, and prepared everything so that it was ready to go. Eli came into the living room and addressed her grandmother. “Babushka… May I speak with you?”

Eli’s grandmother gave her signature tight-lipped smile and nodded. “Sit down.”

Eli sat down and took a breath, her heart pounding in her chest, body racked with adrenaline. “Babushka…” Her voice shook. This was it. This was really it. She hadn’t felt so nervous since asking her grandmother about quitting ballet- even quitting student council hadn’t been as nerve-wracking as this.

“I-I’m… Babushka, I’m…” She swallowed and forced herself to spit it out. “I like girls.”

There was a silence and her grandmother’s face lost all color. Carefully, she said, “Of course you do. Girls make excellent friends.”

“N-no, I… I’m attracted… to girls.” For once, she was unable to hide the fear and vulnerability on her face. This was definitely scarier than quitting ballet.

No one said anything for a long time. Eli’s grandma simply returned to her newspaper, expression cold, empty, unreadable.

“… B-Babushka?”

Silence. Eli tried to steady her breathing, wanting her to say something, anything. She could feel tears rising in her throat, in her eyes, in her heart, and ran into the kitchen where Nozomi was waiting. As soon as she saw her, she grabbed onto Nozomi and cried.

A long time passed before Eli stopped crying. Nozomi simply held Eli tightly, rocking her, whispering sweet nothings and feeling her own cheeks become stained with tears.

Once Eli’s sobs had been diminished to shallow gasps, the door opened and Eli’s grandma stood disapprovingly in the doorframe. “You.” She pointed at Nozomi. “I want you out of my house. You’re not ever to speak to my granddaughter ever again.”

Nozomi’s eyes widened and she was unable to do anything. She had never seen such harshness in Eli’s grandmother’s eyes.

Then, Eli spun around and held onto Nozomi even tighter. “NO! Babushka, you can’t!”

“That girl is influencing you, Eli!” She cried, now in Russian. “She’s not good for you!”

“That girl is my reason for being happy!” Eli sobbed, her hand gripping Nozomi’s shirt as if for dear life. “Please, Babushka, not her! Anything but her!”

Then, a small voice spoke, and a figure appeared behind Eli’s grandmother.

“Babushka,” Alisa said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why?”

“Alisa!? You’re supposed to be at school! What are you doing here?!”

“I left my lunch,” she whimpered, mouth twitching as she tried not to cry. “Babushka, how can you be so mean?!”

With that, she ran off in tears.

Nozomi gathered herself. “Eli, come on,” she said, breathing shallow.

“N-Nozomi…”

“Come on, Eli. Let’s go.”

The two girls headed off towards the door, but Eli’s grandma began to scream again. 

“Don’t you leave this house, Eli Ayase! Don’t you- Don’t you leave with that girl! Do you hear me?! ELI AYASE, IF YOU LEAVE THIS HOUSE-!”

The door slammed shut behind them. They were gone.


End file.
